Dehydrating apparatus and method



' July 8, 1930. s, M s ET AL 1,770,120

DEHYDRATING APPARATUS AND IETHOD Filed July 18, 1923 .30 g1] 34 Wi nm INVENTORS flair/6y l. Amer ,1 Patented July 8,

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE SHIRLEY LAMES, OF NEWTONVI LLE, MASSACHUSETTS, AND HOMER LAUGHLIN,

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, ASSIGNORS TO, CHEM-ELECTRIC ENGINEERING COB- POBATION, A CORPORATION 01' NEW YORK DEHYDRATING APPARATUS AND METHOD Application filed July 18,

This invention relates to dehydrators, paring citrus fruit uice and liquids generally,

.the dehydrated powder from which has a tendency to stick or adhere to the walls of the dehydrator.

The general object of the present invention is so to shape and position the dehydrator that the precipitating powder will have a tendency to fall away from the walls. In carrying out the objects of the invention it is appreciated that it ma be advisable to provide for the lateral in notion of air either chilled or heated and conditioned, and to provide mechanism for regulating the amount of such induction. I

Theinvention will be pointed out more articularly in the accompanying claims w ich aredirected to the illustrative embodiment shown in the accompanying drawings and described in the following specification merely for the purpose of illustration and not limitation.

In the drawings, Fi 1 is a diagrammatic elevation with parts roken away showing the dehydrator proper; and Fig. 2 is a horizontal section taken along the plane of line II--II of Fig. 1.

Atower, at least in part, although in the illustrative embodiment in its entirety, comprises a conical shell A and has an inlet duct 1 for the'drying air or other suitable gas. A spray nozzle 2 is directed axially downwardly near the entrance end 3 of the desiccating chamber B. The nozzle 2 is controllably supplied through the duct 4 leading from supply reservoir 5 by the control valve 6. The downward and outward flare of the shell A causes a quickexpansion of the downward stream of gas with its charge of spray and solid particles. This is effective in causing a quick chilling of the drying gas which is preferably employed initiall at an excessive heat, that is, at a heat whic if maintained throughout the process up to the point where the solids have been precipitated, these solids might be melted or chemically altered. This rapid expansion also reduces the downward velocity of the dehydrating gas so that the pull of gravity upon the solids becomes a greater 1928. Serial No. 852,481.

factor in the downward speed of the solid particles than the force of entrainment in the downwardly flowing air. This tends to aid the falling of the .solids to the bottom of the chamber rather than to aid their flowing out of theexhaust ports. Thus the quick removal of the dried solids from the heated areas is effected. We also prefer to provide the shell A with circumferentially positioned windows 10, the size of the openings through which may be regulated and controlled by an encircling band or beltv l1 guided and supported by the ledge 12 and adjustable in Va rious circumferential positions by the rack 13 formed on the band and driven by the worm 14. The worm shaft 15 ismounted on a suitable bearing bracket 16 and is driven through the bevelled gears 17 and 18 which may be readily manually operated through the shaft 19 and handle 20 brought down to convenient manipulating position.

A circuit of exhaust ports C is preferably formed at the base of the shell A. These ports dischargeinto the encirclin exhaust duct 30 and thence into the main not 31 of the exhaust mechanism 32. An endless belt onveyor 33 is provided at the bottom of the shell A to remove the desiccated solids into the reception chamber 34.

The inventive thought may have a variety of expressions, as is contemplated in what we claim and desire to secure by United States Letters Patent as follows:

1. The method of desiccating wet substances, which consists in directing downwardly within a confined space a current of heated gas and mixing therewith a spray of said wet substances to be dried; increasing the horizontal cross section of said current of heated gas and admixed particles to be dried in their downward traverse and there by slowing the downward movement of the gaseous content thereof while the particles are free to maintain and increase their rate of fall under the influence of gravity.

2. The method described in claim 1 and further characterized by the fact that the dried particles are removed from the heated gas mechanically before heat-deterioration can take place.

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downwardly spaced from the said inlet duct and gas discharge ductsintermediate sai 10 means and said inlet duct. I e

In witness whereof we have si ed our names to this specification this 9t day of April, 1923.-

HOMER LAUGHLIN. SHIRLEY L. AMES. 

